When your glutes are tight, it can cause issues everywhere — your hips, lower back, even down your legs.
Here are some stretches that I would use to attack glute tightness.
Below, I’ll cover:
Why Are Glute Stretches Important?
Your glutes — gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus — are central to nearly every lower body movement. They stabilize your pelvis, power your hips, and support your low back and core.
But when they’re tight or overworked (which happens from sitting, running, lifting, etc.), you can feel:
- Hip stiffness
- Lower back pain
- Sciatica symptoms
- Overactive hamstrings
- Reduced athletic performance
That feels like a lot, but there are some simple fixes.
P.S. I don’t just stretch my glutes. I also use trigger point therapy to prime the muscles for stretching. This is how you get faster releases for any muscle!
The 8 Best Glute Stretches
Below are my favorite glute stretches — organized by position — with notes and videos on when, how and why to use each.
1. Seated Figure Four Stretch
Best for: Daily use, desk relief
Hits: Glute max, deep hip rotators
- Sit tall, cross one ankle over your opposite knee.
- Lean forward from the hips.
- Hold for 30–60 seconds.
Pro Tip: press on the leg to open up the hip more!
More info: Seated vs Standing vs Supine Glute Stretches
2. Supine Figure Four Stretch
Best for: Sciatica, deep glute and hip release
Hits: Piriformis and glute max
This is similar to the seated version but I think it’s a bit more fun!
- Lie on your back, cross one leg over the other.
- Pull the uncrossed leg toward your chest.
- Keep shoulders relaxed.
More info: Seated vs Standing vs Supine Glute Stretches
3. 1/2 Pigeon Pose
I like doing this for a quicker deep stretch. You can use your weight to change the amount of pressure you use easily.
Best for: deep glute release, piriformis
Hits: Glute Max, Glute Min and Piriformis
- Begin in a plank or tabletop.
- Bring one knee forward and foot across the body at a small angle less than 45 degrees.
- Extend the opposite leg straight back
It’s important to keep your back leg tucked in as much as possible. Check out the video (coming soon) to see what I mean!
4. Pigeon Pose (Scale for ability level)
Best for: Deep stretch, hip mobility
Hits: Glute max, deep rotators
- Begin in a plank or tabletop.
- Bring one knee forward and foot across the body to a 90 degree angle.
- Extend the opposite leg straight back.
This one always has the most form issues.
Use a foam roller or some sort of platform to elevate your hip and knee evenly to keep you in the correct upright position without torquing your knee!
5. Deep Lunge (worlds greatest stretch)
I use this to explore the corners of my hip mobility. It’s perfect and scales to all ability levels.
Best for: Deep hip mobility in all directions
Hits: All Glute Muscles depending on angle
- Start in a lunge position with your back knee down on the ground
- shift your upper body forward and front foot forward to varying distances keeping the front leg to the outside of your body.
- Explore all directions and corners of the stretch to find your tight areas.
Watch the video here! (coming soon)
Pairing this with a trigger point session directly before is going to unlock your glutes!
6. Deep Lunge with Twist
Now that you know how to do the deep lunge we can build on it.
Best for: all glutes but specifically the deep rotators
- starting in a deep lunge (#5 above)
- Reach the opposite arm across to the foot of the front leg
- Use the same side arm to aid in twisting your hips while the front foot remains stable
Make sure that you are engaging your core so the twist occurs at your hips and not in your back!
7. Lying Twist Stretch
If you want a lighter stretch and not really targeting any specific muscle in particular this is perfect. Try knee hugs below for a deeper version of this concept.
Best for: Gentle low back + general glute release
Hits: Glute med, glute min, QL
- Lie on your back, bring one knee up and across your body.
- Let it rest on the floor or a pillow.
- Keep opposite shoulder down. And of you don’t want the back stretch, keep as much of your back down on the floor as possible.
Great as a cool-down or restorative option. Just make sure you feel it in your glute, not your thoracic (although you can use it as a back stretch too!)
8. Knee Hugs
I love this one for warming up my hips as well as a relaxing deep glute stretch if you allow it to settle in.
Best for: easy stretching and gentle glute opener
Hits:Glutes and opposite hip flexor
- Lie on your back and pull one or both legs in.
- Move knees in circles or side to side
- Hold at the end range or where your legs move with more tension
Check out the video (coming soon) for a better understanding!
Stretching Tips That Actually Work
- Hold for 30–60 seconds on each side
- Breathe deeply to activate your parasympathetic system (this will give you way more gains in your stretching)
- Use a foam roller or trigger point session to put the muscles in a primed state of relaxation.
- Don’t stretch into pain — tightness should ease, not worsen
Want to learn foam rolling for each muscle of the glutes? Here’s our full guide on How to Foam Roll Your Glutes.
When NOT to Stretch Your Glutes
If you’ve pulled or strained a glute muscle, don’t jump into aggressive stretching. Instead, consult your doctor and give yourself plenty of time to heal before beginning your recovery journey.
Final Thoughts
If your tightness keeps coming back, you might be dealing with deeper muscular imbalances or trigger points. Our full Glute Fix Guide has everything you need to get relief that lasts.
And if that doesn’t work, the glutes may not be your problem! Explore my Ultimate Stretch Guide to find other areas that may be the actual issue!
As always, let me know if you have any questions below. Good Luck!
-Nick